Chapter 53: Mother Luo

Chapter 53: Mother Luo

Having come all this way, there was no reason to just pat his buttocks and leave.

"What was that person here for earlier?" Meng Yuan asked.

"He's the Poleman from the alley, here to collect the monthly fee," Hua Jie replied, looking at Meng Yuan.

The term 'Poleman' generally refers to the owner of a brothel, but it also includes those who manage these secret prostitutes.

"What kind of illness do you have?" Meng Yuan asked again.

"It's not a serious illness. Lately, my body has been feeling alternately cold and hot, and I've had no energy," Hua Jie said, not mentioning the matter of sleeping.

"How long has it been?" Meng Yuan asked further.

"Almost a month, I think," Hua Jie pondered for a moment, feeling helpless, "It's been over half a month since I last worked."

"It's not even a month. It started at the beginning of the month," her brother clarified.

Now, as March approached, the weather had already warmed up significantly. But in early February, there was still a chill in the air, and the spring rain was incessant. Meng Yuan vividly remembered this because he had fought for his life with the Wolf Demon during that time.

"Have you seen a doctor?" Meng Yuan inquired again.

"Where would a broken whore find the money to hire a doctor?" Hua Jie's pale face showed a smile, as if she thought Meng Yuan was being foolish, "I only had a midwife look at me."

Seeing that Meng Yuan was carrying a sword but seemed amiable, with no harshness in his words or expressions, she began to open up.

She explained that she had entered the profession to pay for her brother's treatment, and how difficult it had been.

She mentioned how it was easy to fall into this quagmire but challenging to get out, and how she longed for a trustworthy partner to spend her days with.

Meng Yuan remained silent, not saying anything.

He had come to repay a debt of gratitude, and while such debts were immeasurable, he wasn't so rigid as to support someone for life.

This Hua Jie had indeed shown kindness in the past, but she wasn't entirely innocent either.

Meng Yuan had never been a patron, but he wasn't a fool either.

"Sister, please say less," Hua Jie's brother couldn't help but tug at her sleeve, clearly realizing that Meng Yuan wasn't a gullible rich lamb.

"Blame me. Are you making money here now?" Hua Jie asked, feeling guilty.

"I'm not making money," Meng Yuan asked directly, "How much money would it take for the Poleman to let you go?"

Meng Yuan was confident that he could easily defeat the Poleman, but was also aware of the saying, 'Strong dragons do not suppress local snakes.'

This Auspicious Alley and the surrounding area were a vast quagmire, and there was no need to get entangled in it.

Meng Yuan believed in the power of fists and swords, but if money could solve the problem, there was no need for violence.

Before coming, Meng Yuan had calculated that he would provide enough silver to free Hua Jie from the quagmire and some additional silver for her to establish herself.

Meng Yuan was poor, but if a small amount of money could resolve this matter, he was willing to do so.

If he needed more money, he could always borrow it, as his reputation now allowed him to borrow more.

Hua Jie, who had been sitting on the bed, jumped up upon hearing this, "I couldn't even dream of that! Sir, if you want to repay the past favor, it would be better to take my brother out and mentor him!"

Hua Jie was quick to seize opportunities, but Meng Yuan had no such intentions. He had just established himself in the Prince's residence and couldn't mentor others, especially without knowing their character or personality. Repaying a favor didn't mean doing it in this manner.

"How much do you earn per customer, and how many customers do you see in a day?" Meng Yuan inquired.

"That depends on the circumstances. I'm young and attractive..." Hua Jie saw Meng Yuan's stern expression as he gripped the sword hilt, so she quickly changed her words, "We only do business with commoners. How expensive can it be? The Wharf's business is good, and they earn over a hundred coins a day. The standard was forty coins, but with the refugees at the end of the year, it's down to twenty or thirty coins. As for the number of customers, on a good day, I could have twenty, but on a slow day, only three or five. When the Wharf is busy, my business thrives!"

Meng Yuan, without asking how much money Hua Jie owed the Poleman or about the percentage taken, turned his attention to Hua Jie's brother.

"Go and invite that poleman over here." Meng Yuan instructed.

The youth stood there in a daze, then ran out.

"You're truly a good person. From now on, I'll be yours..." Hua Jie wiped her tears, but when she saw Meng Yuan close his eyes, she pursed her lips and stopped.

Soon, Hua Jie's younger brother led in a man in his thirties, but it wasn't the previous poleman.

"Which gang do you belong to, brother?" The man was robust and entered the room, walking straight towards Meng Yuan with his large hand extended.

Meng Yuan reached out, grabbed the man's wrist, and then lifted it upwards.

The man truly had no strength to resist, and after five or six breaths, he begged for mercy.

Then this man left, and the poleman immediately walked in.

Meng Yuan observed clearly that this poleman was also an experienced man. He first sent someone to test the waters, and upon seeing that Meng Yuan indeed had some capabilities, he finally showed himself.

"I don't know where Brother comes from, please forgive my rudeness." The poleman laughed, bowing and asking, "May I dare ask how Brother is addressed? Where do you make your fortune?"

"I dare not reveal my name. It's just a way to earn a living." Meng Yuan smiled and bowed, saying, "They have a connection with my sister and me. Can Brother please spare them and let them go?"

It was their first meeting, and there was no such thing as face, it was just polite talk.

The poleman saw that Meng Yuan wasn't revealing anything, but he laughed and said, "Hua Jie is the top prostitute here. But if Brother wants to take her back, I won't refuse. Twenty-seven taels, is that okay?"

"Twenty taels." Meng Yuan haggled fiercely.

When Meng Yuan had asked about Hua Jie's price earlier, he had already calculated it. Hua Jie was sick and bedridden, and she didn't entertain many guests, so she was truly not worth much.

You should know that before the new year, Meng Yuan sold her for less than one tael of silver. Now that the disaster year has passed, this price is already the highest.

"Brother, aren't you making things difficult for me?" The poleman sighed, not acting like a gang member but rather like a businessman, "Hua Jie still owes me more than thirty taels, and the regular silver has been delayed for several days."

The so-called debt is just rolling interest, and in reality, there isn't much capital involved, it's all about the art of bargaining.

There was no other way, Meng Yuan was a poor ghost, and he had to fight for every penny. So he started haggling with the poleman.

Hua Jie's younger brother saw this and didn't find it surprising. He wanted to say something but held back.

After a quarter of an hour, the poleman glanced at Meng Yuan's knife several times and finally agreed to the amount of twenty-seven taels.

After exchanging the IOU and bond, Meng Yuan directly handed it over to Hua Jie.

"Brother, come again, and I'll treat you to a drink." The poleman collected the silver and patted his buttocks before leaving.

"Who is the person behind him?" Meng Yuan asked out of curiosity, seeing that the other party was so well-behaved.

"I heard he's a captain of the patrol from the yamen." Hua Jie was still mumbling, "My wretched life isn't even worth ten taels! You paid too much!"

"At least you're free now." Meng Yuan didn't feel cheated as the matter was resolved with money, and he smiled, asking, "What are your plans for the future?"

"What else can we do? Find a decent man to marry." Hua Jie sighed.

"Sister!" The youth pulled Hua Jie and knelt before Meng Yuan.

Meng Yuan didn't accept the gesture, but took out ten small silver ingots of five taels each, "In the future, the two of you can start a small business or do something else. You'll be able to get by. Remember to go see a doctor first."

"In the future, the road ahead may be long and arduous. Take good care of yourselves." Meng Yuan didn't even introduce himself and directly took his leave.

Upon seeing the money, Hua Jie seemed to have recovered from her illness, and she knelt on the ground, banging her head repeatedly, tears streaming down her face. It was unclear if she was acting or not, "My illness is almost cured. Mother Luo gave me medicine. In a couple of days, I'll definitely be fine! I'll listen to you, Sir!"

Meng Yuan had already turned to leave, but he paused and turned back, frowning, "Who is Mother Luo?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end